TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2009

MORE NEWS ON TUESDAY

WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN: "THIEVES' GAMBIT"

Gambit make his first appearance in Wolverine and the X-Men in "Thieves' Gambit," Friday's episode on Nicktoons.

"I really like the character of Gambit," said Greg Johnson, the series' head writer and co-developer. "On the one hand, he's this smooth, romantic rake who uses his silver tongue and good looks to get himself out of jams just as easily as he would use his powers. On the other hand, he's a thief willing to sell out mutant-kind for a decent payday, and has no guilt whatsoever about it.

"But down very deep, he's a decent guy. The easy way to portray him would have been as a wise-cracking reluctant hero, someone who's already made the journey from cad to good guy. But these types of heroes only really resonate if we see where they come from. Han Solo was a smuggler for a mob boss, cheating people left and right to make ends meet. Sawyer on Lost was an opportunist, not above hoarding the life-saving essentials so he could force people to do what he wants. It becomes a pleasure to cheer these kinds of characters on when they finally begin making unselfish, noble decisions.

"So the Gambit our viewers will meet in 'Thieves's Gambit' is the mercenary 'mutant for hire.' He's a thief who's in it for the challenge as much as the money. And this is the beginning of his journey."

Here's how the network describes the episode:

"When Forge's new creation -- a collar designed to inhibit mutant powers -- is stolen by master thief-for-hire Gambit, Wolverine must track him down and recover it. But when he finds Gambit, he discovers that the collar has already been sold ... to a buyer working for Sen. Kelly. Now Wolverine and Gambit must team up to steal back the collar before it can be reverse engineered and used against mutants everywhere."

Gambit's voice is provided by Phil LaMarr, whose many credits include Green Lantern in Justice League/Justice League Unlimited and Static in Static Shock.

"Thieves' Gambit" was written by Bob Forward and directed by Steve Gordon.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS TWO-PARTER

Cartoon Network will air a two-part episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Friday beginning at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).

In "Blue Shadow Virus," Padme Amidala is captured while searching for a secret Separatist bio-weapons lab run by Dr. Nuvo Vindi (portrayed by Michael York), a scientist as cold and calculating as he is evil. While they manage to find the mad doctor and uncover his scheme, they are too late to prevent the release of his deadly concoction ­ leaving Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi just 48 hours to find the elusive antidote in "Mystery of a Thousand Moons."

Vindi's plan for galactic cleansing provides an unusual mission for the heroes of the Clone Wars, pitting them against an unseen threat that cannot necessarily be conquered through direct aggression. According "Blue Shadow Virus" director Giancarlo Volpe, this provides an opportunity to see how the characters respond to a new kind of pressure.

"This episode is really about refortifying the Anakin-Padme dynamic," Volpe said. "She is his universe and so he'll compromise the mission to make sure her safety comes first. Itıs not what a Jedi is supposed to do, but that's Anakin."

Once Padme, Ahsoka and the clones become infected, however, the stakes are raised, leaving Anakin and Obi-Wan to sort out a solution in "Mystery of a Thousand Moons," according to director Jesse Yeh. Their quest for the cure serves as a perfect vehicle to spotlight the relationship between the two Jedi, emphasizing their differences as well as their respect for one another.

"Obi-Wan and Anakin do things so differently, yet they rely on each other so much that they would trust each other with their own lives," Yeh said. "Obi-Wan is more than just a mentor trying to teach Anakin the path of a Jedi Master. When needed, he can also be an understanding friend of Anakin and stand by his decisions as well -- even if sometimes those decisions could mean a violation of the Jedi teachings.

"At the same time, Anakin tries to prohibit his own impulsive thoughts and emotions from taking over, and he is willing to do so totally out of the respect and trust he has for Obi-Wan -- even when the life of his true love is at stake at the time."

HEROES: "EXPOSED"

NBC has released a description for "Exposed," the Monday, March 2 episode of Heroes.

Here's how the network describes the episode:

"After receiving a tip from 'Rebel,' Matt (Greg Grunberg) and Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) race to 'Building 26' to rescue Daphne and recover files that will expose the government's plans for those with abilities. Claire (Hayden Panettiere) finds help from an unlikely source in smuggling Alex (guest-star Justin Baldoni) out of the city. As Sylar (Zachary Quinto) and Luke (guest-star Dan Byrd) continue their road trip, Sylar begins to have memories of his father that lead him to the truth about his mother.

"Meanwhile, 'The Hunter' (guest-star Zeljko Ivanek) puts his own agenda into action with an explosive surprise for one of our heroes."

XIII: PART TWO

NBC has released a description for the second part of the XIII mini-series, scheduled to air Sunday, Feb. 15 at 9 p.m.

Here's how the network describes the two-hour finale:

"The high-stakes cat-and-mouse thriller continues between the government, XIII (Stephen Dorff) and The Mongoose (Val Kilmer). Submerged in a far-reaching conspiracy, which threatens to overthrow the entire government, XIII's identity becomes the key to unraveling a complex and dangerous secret.

"Colonel Samuel Amos (Greg Bryk) has been appointed by the White House to head the investigation into the assassination. His theory is that the recent terror attacks and the assassination are linked. He then begins to suspect that whoever killed the President is trying to sway the votes in order to place their candidate in office. As XIII gets closers to the truth, the conspirators are getting nervous about getting caught, as well as the consequences of their actions."

MARVEL COMICS FIRST LOOKS

For a cover and five-page preview of Marvel Comics' Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #1, CLICK HERE.